Chapter 93: The Tin Knight and The City of Struggle (12)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 93: The Tin Knight and The City of Struggle (12)
Dorothea thought to herself.
I’m not keen on this. It’s suspicious, too.
First, there was no guarantee that what Franka said was true.
Even if there were ways to verify her claims, she and Franka had once been at each other’s throats.
There was no reason to readily agree just because Franka was asking for help.
There wasn’t, but still.
Glance.
Dorothea glanced sideways at the Tin Knight.
He looked serious, his expression unchanging—which was only natural, since he didn’t have a face to begin with—but after traveling with him for so long, she could now tell.
The Tin Knight was incredibly excited.
It was nothing new that what normal sensibilities would deem a ‘troublesome and dangerous matter’ was, by the Tin Knight’s standards, an ‘interesting and fun matter.’
In other words, if she coldly refused, the Tin Knight would undoubtedly start to grumble.
More importantly, a bet was a bet.
She had an obligation to let the Tin Knight participate in the martial arts tournament.
And if they had to participate anyway, she ought to maximize the potential gains.
Dorothea let out a short sigh, then her expression changed as she spoke.
“Alright, I’ll accept. That offer.”
*
The Thracus Cup Martial Arts Tournament.
-Individual Match Participant: Adelaide von Lennart
-Team Match Participants: Team Dorothea (Tin Knight / Dorothea Aschengard / Sophia Hubris)
After the tournament registration was complete.
Adel asked with an anxious look.
“Um, am I really entering the individual matches?”
Dorothea shrugged.
“If it were up to me, I’d rather take you than Sophia, who’s useless in a fight, but this guy here is being stubborn.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ insists that this is a golden opportunity to test Adel’s new style!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says that to avoid becoming a hothouse flower, she needs to gain experience fighting alone!]
“Uh.”
Adel was at a loss for words.
She felt it was unfair.
I mean, maybe in the past, but I don’t think I’m enough of a hothouse flower to be called that these days…
Whether she had read Adel’s mind or her feelings were just written all over her face, Dorothea spoke as if to console her.
“Well, just do what you can. Even getting third place would be something to brag about, wouldn’t it?”
“That is… hmm.”
At Dorothea’s words, Adel felt a little tempted.
The Thracus martial arts tournament was one of the most famous on the continent.
In fact, the only larger tournaments were events hosted irregularly by powerful figures like the emperor or a duke, so it was fair to say it was the best and largest among the regularly held ones.
In other words, if she achieved a good result here, it would be an accomplishment worth bragging about even after returning to her domain.
If she performed well in the team matches, she might face suspicions of having been carried by her teammates, but the individual matches were free from such doubts.
Above all, unlike the position of representative instructor of Tik-Tok, the appeal was that this qualification couldn’t be revoked by the will of the main family.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says he will train her to her limits before the tournament begins!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ asks if she is prepared to become stronger!]
The Tin Knight extended his right hand.
Adel took his hand with a determined expression.
“Yes!”
*
And about 46 hours later.
“Gasp, gasp!”
Thump.
With a pale face, Adel collapsed weakly to the ground.
Her breathing was ragged, and her clothes were little more than tatters.
Sophia approached Adel, who looked to anyone to be near her limit.
“N-no. No…!”
Adel shook her head, on the verge of tears, but Sophia spoke with sorrowful eyes.
“I’m sorry, Lady Adel. But you know it can’t be helped.”
“Sob.”
Adel squeezed her eyes shut.
Then Sophia reached out her hand to Adel.
The next moment.
A white light burst forth, breathing vitality and life into Adel’s body.
Adel received the miraculous effect—her wounds disappeared and even some of her fatigue and exhaustion were restored—but her face didn’t look happy in the slightest.
Instead, she only grew even paler.
The Tin Knight placed a hand on her shoulder with a pat.
Toward Adel, whose hair was standing on end like a cat’s, the Tin Knight gave a thumbs-up.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ shouts, “Just one more set, member!”]
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
Adel screamed.
It was a shriek so pitiful it would make any listener’s heart ache. Of course, the heartless madman didn’t care. Sophia was smiling as if she’d never had sorrowful eyes to begin with.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ assesses that since her voice is loud, the holy magic must have worked properly!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ is pleased that it’s such a heartwarming sight to see his comrades helping with Adel’s training with one heart and mind!]
The Tin Knight’s words were not empty.
The party was truly assisting with Adel’s training with one heart and mind.
When Adel got tired or injured, Sophia would heal her, and when her mana ran out, Dorothea would replenish it.
There was a limit to stamina recovery using holy magic, so she was given a one-hour break every six hours, but other than that, an endless wave of training washed over Adel.
It was a training regimen that would make any warrior with common sense gasp in horror.
No matter how much her stamina and mana were replenished by external aid, if an ordinary person followed such a schedule, some part of their body would break down in an instant.
However, Adel was an exception.
Sophia said, as if in admiration.
“The constitution of the Lion Duke’s bloodline is truly amazing. Her total stamina is much greater than an ordinary person’s, yet her recovery speed is almost at the level of a child. Is the entire bloodline like this, or is Lady Adel just particularly outstanding?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says that his thorough basic training has paid off!]
Of course, whether others were admiring her or not was none of Adel’s concern.
Unlike the two non-humans who had no connection to words like sleep or rest, she wanted to argue with all her might that she, an ordinary person, needed to rest at the proper times. (Had Dorothea heard this, she would have coldly pointed out that Adel wasn’t exactly normal either.)
Seeing Adel sprawled out like a blanket on a clothesline even after her recovery, the Tin Knight must have felt something, as he spoke.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says that if she can land a solid blow on him, the training will end at that point!]
Twitch.
Adel’s body reacted strongly.
With light returning to her dead-fish-like eyes, Adel asked.
“What’s the standard for a ‘solid blow’?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ informs her that it’s landing an attack on his torso!]
“And the rest period?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says it’s 24 hours!]
Adel gripped her sword with both hands.
Golden mana began to seep from her entire body.
Resting the sword diagonally on her right shoulder, Adel charged.
In contrast, the Tin Knight faced her without cloaking his body in mana.
Clang!
[The ‘Tin Knight’ points out that even if she increases the cutting power with sword energy, the force is greatly reduced if it doesn’t land properly!]
Claaang!
[The ‘Tin Knight’ recommends that she attack in various ways, as the sword is just one of many offensive tools!]
Thwack!
[The ‘Tin Knight’ advises her to actively use her light weight!]
The sword strikes didn’t stop.
Tumbling to the ground again and again, Adel relentlessly lunged at the Tin Knight.
The members of the Iron Stake Mercenary Group, who had initially watched out of curiosity, were now dumbfounded.
The guards, dispatched after hearing that the sound of swords was echoing from a park in the special district, expressed their admiration at the sight and returned.
The nobles, who had come seeking to build a connection after hearing a rumor that one of the representative instructors of the Lennart dojo was here, also shook their heads and left.
And so, time flowed on and on, after several suns had risen and set.
CRASH!
The sword Adel brought down with a full-body rotation struck the Tin Knight.
Looking at Adel’s sword, which had dug halfway into his shoulder, the Tin Knight declared.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ declares that she has passed the test!]
“……”
Adel didn’t let out a cheer.
Nor did she shed tears of joy.
She just stared blankly, her gaze alternating between her hands and the Tin Knight’s shoulder.
Then, with a gulp, as if her breath had caught, she simply collapsed sideways.
The Tin Knight quickly caught Adel’s body and supported her.
Adel was unconscious. So deeply that she wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon.
Sophia approached them.
“You both worked hard.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ is happy that they safely reached the target goal!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ assesses that the final blow would have gone deeper if he hadn’t cloaked his body in mana!]
“I don’t know much about martial arts, but even from my perspective, Lady Adel is magnificent.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ once again expresses his gratitude to Sophia!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says that thanks to her holy magic, the short-term intensive training was a success!]
“Oh no, Lady Adel’s innate recovery is so outstanding that I barely had to do anything. Though using it while avoiding others’ eyes was a bit of a hassle. I don’t think I’ll be able to use it during the tournament with so many spectators, will that be alright?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ states his preference, saying he likes restricted battles.]
“That’s a relief, then.”
The conversation paused.
Sophia, who had been gazing down at Adel for a moment, spoke as if something had just occurred to her.
“By the way, Sir Tin?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ wonders why she is calling him!]
“Oh, it’s nothing. Um, you told Lady Adel that if she passed the test, she’d get a 24-hour rest, right?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says that is correct!]
“But, since she has to recover her condition the day before the tournament anyway, she would have had to rest for a day, right?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ agrees that is correct!]
“And since today is the day before, doesn’t that mean that whether she landed the attack or not, Lady Adel would have been able to rest anyway?”
The Tin Knight paused.
He remained that way for about five seconds.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ insists that’s just how drill instructors talk!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says that even if you work hard after being told you’ll finish early, the time you get to go home is the same anyway!]
Truly, a Tin Knight without a human heart.